Open Digital Europe

Social Businesses

Out of the Box International works with already existing hubs, various local and national stakeholders and social entrepreneurs in order to further develop and promote successful social entrepreneurship policies and practices.

Solidarity Europe

European Project

Out of the Box International works further to enhance current cooperation in South East Europe region and actively supports the integration of all European countries in common European project.

Projects

Social Business/From Idea to Europe

The project “From Idea to Europe“ gathered 10 organizations from 10 countries in the EU and the Western Balkans to support and strengthen 20 youth workers, social workers and teachers to realize their entrepreneurial ideas by giving them strong motivation, skills and knowledge through trainings and mentor support. OTB gathered the following partners for this project: Biznis Nova–Serbia (Lead Partner), Mladiinfo-Montenegro, Ekonomska šola Novo mesto- Slovenia, Wisamar Educational Institute-Germany, Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu i Nauko Zdrowiu-Poland, United Societies of Balkans-Poland, UNIque Junior Enterprise-Albania, Association EUni Partners-Bulgaria and Agenzia Umbria Ricerche-Italy.

Some of the project’s objectives included equipping youth workers with skills and knowledge on planning and starting their own business through 3 training modules in different countries as well as motivating and supporting realization of entrepreneurial ideas by giving participants online mentoring support. The idea was to commence, strengthen and stimulate international and cross-sectoral cooperation in the field of entrepreneurial learning as well as to develop educational framework for entrepreneurial learning for young people based on experiential learning.

The result of the project were six entrepreneurial ideas realized over the period of one year, an online freely accessible documentary to be used as a manual and guide for supporting young people in starting their own business. The project was realized through the programme Erasmus plus, Key Action 2 Capacity Building in the field of Youth and it was implemented through a training course and mentorship process, using the methodological approach of career self-management to assist young entrepreneurs to develop skills, knowledge, attitudes and values for effective career self-management in the contemporary world and for attaining desired outcomes in their lives.

Why Out of the Box International

The seemingly ever-lasting depression of European economies has shaken the very foundations of many European societies. The shear rate of unemployment in Europe and the omnipresent environmental crisis coupled with the often frustratingly slow process of decision making in the EU, are calling for civil society actors to step in and fill the void.

In the aftermath of the 2008. economic crisis, the apprehension of falling under the spell of apathy of economic depression across the continent has not been easy to shake off. However, pinpointing the culprits for the current state of affairs on any particular EU decision maker is not the answer. Nonetheless, the fact remains that the current approach to the economic and environmental crisis hasn’t yet shown the affected citizens the light at the end of the tunnel.

As representatives of the civil society we feel the need to make our voice heard in the midst of the current debate on economic crisis. Being a social enterprise we offer new and feasible ideas in education and community work, creative cross-sectorial cooperation among different actors and strong networking coalitions to turn these dire economic challenges into possibilities through social entrepreneurship initiatives which aim at benefiting wide range of citizens, particularly vulnerable groups and those affected by the economic crisis.

Social entrepreneurship is a simple concept that has been put into practice by civil society actors for the benefit of a specific social group or people, and this is precisely what we want: to create projects and initiatives with fresh ideas in different policies, educational programs or tools, support businesses, empower cultural initiatives and offer different solutions to individuals, corporate bodies, everybody who believe that we can have more Creative, Innovative and Cohesive Europe.